"a moment in time" by tracie peterson

About the book (from Amazon): Alice Chesterfield is a woman pursued. Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, she is never free from the fear and memories of the man who is responsible.

Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, Robert Barnett captures her attention. Unlike any man Alice has ever known, Robert doesn't worry about the obstacles that stand in their way—and he hardly seems to notice the scar she bears.

But there are storm clouds gathering; devastating information about her family comes to light, threatening Alice's peaceful sanctuary. Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future...and for her heart.

My take: I must admit, I have mixed feelings about A Moment in Time. It's the second book in Peterson's Texas Brides series, and I really enjoyed the book one, A Sensible Arrangement, so I highly anticipated continuing Jake, Marty, and Alice's story. At first, I was incredibly frustrated as I read—Marty made so much progress in the first book, and when this one started, it was like she had completely regressed. I understand that she didn't want to go back to Texas, but the Marty at the end of A Sensible Arrangement would not have had the spoiled brat/childish reaction to Jake's announcement that he was going to look for work in Texas that this Marty had.

Once the characters actually got to Texas (more than one third of the way through the book), I started enjoying it more. Marty's character became more like the Marty at the end of A Sensible Arrangement (finally!), and Alice and Robert met, which introduced the novel's love story. They had a sweet romance, and of course I was pulling for her to get her happily ever after. Some of the conflict in their relationship, though, could have been solved by simply talking to one another—that's my least favorite type of conflict in romance, as I just want to shake the couple and yell, "Just talk about it!"

Everything wraps up in a satisfying manner, though a couple threads are left open for future novels. I think the reason I struggled so much with this book is that I was anticipating it greatly, as I'd really enjoyed book one in the series, so perhaps my expectations were too high. This is a good book, and, despite my criticisms, I enjoyed it—just not as much as I'd hoped to. I will still come back for the next in the series, as I do like the characters, and I still want to know how those unresolved threads will turn out!

My rating: 3-1/2 stars

Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Peterson's A Sensible Arrangement and House of Secrets.

About the author: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.
Learn more about Tracie at www.traciepeterson.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers through its book reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"a sensible arrangement" by tracie peterson

About the book (from Litfuse): A Lone Star Brides book.

Marty Dandridge Olson is ready to leave behind the pain of the past.

Answering an advertisement for a "Lone Star bride," she leaves her Texas ranch and heads to Denver to marry a man she doesn't know.

Jake Wythe is the man waiting for her.

Burned by love, he marries now simply to satisfy the board of Morgan Bank, which believes a man of his standing in society should be wed. Together Jake and Marty agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.

When missing money and a collapsing economy threaten his job, Jake's yearning to return to ranching grows ever stronger, much to Marty's dismay. But a fondness has grown between them, as well, further complicating matters.

What will happen when their relationship shifts in unexpected ways . . . and dreams and secrets collide?

My take: It's no secret that marriage of convenience stories are my favorite, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to review A Sensible Arrangement. It's the compelling story of a man and woman who choose to marry for vastly different reasons: he to satisfy the board of the bank he works for, and she to escape the memories that haunt her in Texas. Along the way, of course, the two fall in love. But Marty's secrets and lies threaten their happily ever after.

One aspect that I absolutely loved about this novel was that Marty wasn't the typical romance novel heroine. She had struggled with lying her entire life, and even when she recommitted herself to Christ, her tendency to lie didn't go away, though she did fight it much harder. I appreciated that she was a representation of a real woman with real issues.

I did get a bit tired of Marty's refusal to tell Jake the truth about her ranch, but at least the secret did not hold the love story hostage. And sometimes Peterson would set up events, only to have the next chapter be days or even weeks in the future—I felt a bit cheated to not be able to "experience" the events with Jake and Marty.

Also, be aware that while Marty and Jake's love story is resolved, nothing else is. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the Lone Star Brides series to find out what happens next!

My rating: 4 stars

See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my review of Peterson's House of Secrets.

About the author: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

Learn more about Tracie at www.traciepeterson.com.

About the giveaway:  Welcome to the campaign launch for Tracie Peterson's 100th book! A Sensible Arrangement launches Tracie's new Texas-based series, Lone Star Brides, that’s sure to please. As a special treat, devoted fans will be able to catch a glimpse of several popular characters from previous series.

Tracie is celebrating by giving away an iPad Mini and hosting a LIVE webcast event on 4/29.

 

  One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 29th. Winner will be announced at the A Sensible Arrangement Live Webcast Event on April 29th. Connect with Tracie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tracie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of A Sensible Arrangement and join Tracie and friends on the evening of April 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"to love and cherish" by tracie peterson & judith miller

About the book: Melinda Colson has been waiting months for Evan, the assistant gamekeeper at the Bridal Veil Island resort, to propose. Without an offer of marriage, she must return to Cleveland with the family she works for as a lady's maid.

Evan isn't afraid of hard work, and he hopes to be promoted soon. He wants to marry Melinda—but not until he's sure he can support her and a family.

Letters strengthen their romance until a devastating storm strikes the island. With no word from Evan, Melinda knows she must journey back to Bridal Veil in search of her beloved.

But the hurricane isn't the last calamity to shake up Bridal Veil. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but still no offer of marriage comes her way. Has she given her heart to the wrong person? Will she ever find a man to love and cherish?

My take: You know how sometimes a book comes along that you should like, one that's well written with a plot in the same vein as others you've enjoyed, but you just can't connect with it? That was my experience with To Love and Cherish.

Usually, I really like Tracie Peterson's books, and I wanted to like this one, too. (In my recollection, I'd never read anything by Judith Miller prior to this book.) It is written well, giving a good glimpse into the 1890s. And I very much enjoyed a subplot involving President McKinley.

Unfortunately, two aspects of the book overshadowed the good parts: the heroine and the pacing. Melinda is one of the most unlikable heroines I've read about in a long time. She is impulsive, headstrong, and a bit manipulative—character traits I've looked past in other heroines, but something about Melinda just rubbed me the wrong way. For most of the book, I wasn't sure if she and Evan would end up together, and I really didn't care. Although I didn't like Melinda, I think what really kept me from enjoying the book was the pacing. The first 3/4 of the book moved. so. slowly. I had to force myself to keep reading. Then, with just a few chapters to go, everything shifted into high gear, and I could barely keep up!

Had the entire book been like the last quarter, I think I would have liked it a lot more. But as it is, my feelings are so-so. 2-1/2 stars.

Note: This is book two in Peterson & Miller's "Bridal Veil Island" series, but you absolutely do not need to read book one in order to understand the plot.

Read an excerpt below: 
To Love and Cherish

About the authors: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over eighty novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana. Visit Tracie's Web site at www.traciepeterson.com and her blog at www.writespassage.blogspot.com.

Judith Miller is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her bestselling novels. When time permits, Judy enjoys traveling, visiting historical settings, and scrapbooking the photographs from her travel expeditions. She makes her home in Topeka, Kansas. Visit her Web site at www.judithmccoymiller.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers through their book reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"house of secrets" by tracie peterson

When Bailee's father summons her and her younger sisters to their summer house, the girls decide it's finally time to confront their father. Fifteen years prior, their mother died at the summer house, and the girls believe their father was responsible for her death. They made a pact to keep their suspicions quiet because they didn't want to lose both parents. As the family gathers at the house, more secrets than the girls could have imagined come to light—and Bailee begins to understand that nothing that happened was her fault.

My take: While Tracie Peterson is one of the more well-known Christian fiction writers, I hadn't really read any of her books before House of Secrets. (Well, Iditarod Dream, which she wrote under the pen name Janelle Jamison, was one of the first romances I ever read, and I still have it on my bookshelf. This is the first Peterson book I've read that was published under her own name.) I was hooked on the first page.

The story is told in first person from Bailee's perspective, and I felt like I was sitting with Bailee as she told her story over a cup of coffee. This book is filled with twists and surprises as Bailee tries to make sense of her past—both what she thought happened and what really happened. I really enjoyed her relationship with Mark, her (sort of) boss, and I liked watching her relationship with her father evolve, as well. House of Secrets deals with mental illness, suicide, and depression, so it's not a book you want to read when you're looking for something light. If you're in the mood for something serious, though, the book fits the bill. It is a great story about forgiveness and healing, and I'm happy to recommend it.

I give House of Secrets 5 out of 5 stars, and I'll definitely be seeking out more of Peterson's books!

Read an excerpt below:
House of Secrets

About the author: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over eighty novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana. Visit Tracie's Web site at www.traciepeterson.com and her blog at www.writespassage.blogspot.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers through their book reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."